The Communities Department has admitted that no pensioner has received the promised £100 winter fuel payment yet in Northern Ireland with an MLA saying the payment will come “too little, too late” for many.
It comes after Northern Ireland experienced a week-long cold snap in January when temperatures plummeted into minus figures.
Storm Eowyn has also now left tens of thousands of homes without electricity for a fourth day and freezing temperatures are expected this week.
Based on the response from Minister Gordon Lyons, pensioners could receive their Winter Fuel Payment (WFP) in Spring.
Last year the Labour government announced that it was ending universal WFP and that money would only go to those who already receive pension credit or other means-tested financial support.
The changes meant that more than 10m pensioners could not get the 2024 winter fuel payment.
In November, Communities Minister Gordon Lyons announced his plan for the allocation of £17m from the Executive to mitigate the impact of changes to the Winter Fuel Payment.
He said pensioners no longer eligible for WFP would get a one-off fuel support payment of £100.
Many of those people would have been receiving £200 or £300 previously.
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An estimated 250,000 pensioners in approximately 170,000 households who were set to lose out after the UK government’s decision to means-test the Winter Fuel Payment will receive the automatic payment.
Eligibility criteria will be the same a that previously used for WFPs, and payments will be issued before the end of March 2025.
The minister said there would be no application process, as the department would automatically identify eligible individuals through existing records.
“This approach will ensure a smooth and efficient distribution of payments, without the additional burden of application forms or red tape,” he added.
However, SDLP MLA Mark H Durkan asked the minister to detail the number of pensioners who have received the WFP.
A response dated January 27 and signed by Mr Lyons states: “Whilst the payment has not yet issued, my officials are working at pace to put in place arrangements for making this payment via existing payment channels before the end of March 2025.”
Mr Durkan described it as “utter madness”.
He added: “Not one penny of winter fuel support has been paid.
“Before Christmas people were told the £100 payment for pensioners missing out on the fuel payment would be rolled out and paid ‘by March’.
“Now the Minister tells me they aim to get the money out ‘by the end of March.’ Not good enough!
“It really will be too little, too late for so many.”
DfC has been contacted for a response